Malthona - Geist
Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil Statistics Defenses Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning, Force, Psychic Damage Immunities Necrotic and Poison Condition Immunities Poisoned, Charmed, Exhaution Senses Darkvision 120 feet, Perception 16 Skills Stealth +6 Languages Common, Deor Abilities Magic Resistance: '''Geists have advantage on saves against magical effects. '''Umbral Cloak: '''Geists gain the effects of 1/2 Cover (+2 AC and +2 on Dexterity based saves) when in dim light or darker areas. '''Cursed Claws: '''Targets struck by the Geist's Claw attack gain Disadvantage on their next attack roll made against the Geist. '''Puppet Master: '''The Geist can use their powerful force of will to command the dead as mindless constructs known as Draugar. The commands are generally simple and only one command can be issued at a time as an action which affects all Draugar the Geist is currently utilizing. There is not a limit to how many Draugar the Geist may control at once and the Geist may activate other dead bodies as a bonus action. Newly activated Draugar must be issued orders as well. If the Geist is slain, all Draugar immediately collapse and cease to function. '''Spider Climb: '''Geist's can move along walls and ceilings at half their normal movement rate. Actions/Attacks '''Multi-Attack: '''The Geist may make two Claw attacks a turn. '''Claw: ''Melee Attack. +6 to-hit, reach 5 feet, one target. ''Hit: ''d4+3 slashing damage. Targets struck by Claw attacks from the Geist are afflicted with the Cursed Claws effect. '''Shadow Meld: '(Recharge 4) If the Geist is standing in an area of dim light or darker, the may use their Reaction to blend into the darkness - gaining the benefits of Invisibility. The effect ends if the Geist takes any actions on their turn including issuing directives to their Draugar or moving as the effect requires intense concentration on the part of the Geist. Overview Geists are dangerous Malthona that have the ability to control the bodies of the dead as a puppeteer controls his puppets. While not physically strong, Geists are threatening in an entirely different way when compared to Thona of similar potency. Unlike more common Malthona, the Geist possesses strong intellectual presence and tends to be a very calculating foe. Like most Malthona, the Geist is in torment over its 'rebirth' and harbors an intense hatred for the properly living. Where as Zombies and Ghouls would simply rip the objects of there jealousy apart, the Geist would simply slay the victim and then use the body to create a host that it can manifest it's will upon. The Church calls these unfortunates Draugar, using the term first used in Glaskog where the priests first began to document encounters with Geists in detail. Geists prefer to kill and collect new Draugar, often hiding out in old barrows and burial grounds where they can dominate and raise Draugar to carry out their vengeful desires. Geists prefer not to engage their targets personally and are very elusive - or as the warriors of Glaskog first called them, 'cowardly'. Their bodies are perpetually shrouded in darkness and they have been said to be able to seemingly vanish in the night. While said to be physically weak, Geists are still dangerous on their own to the unwary are they are remarkably durable and highly elusive when hunting or being hunted. When a Geist is slain, all Draugar that it controlled are released from it's thrall and collapse once again to the base corpses that they are. When slain, Church records state that the Geist appears as a thin and wizened creature with savage claws and blackened, desiccated, skin. While records are vague on whether or not Geists can speak themselves, they are documented to understand speech based upon reactions.